Trying to beat my old record...

[ark_ader]

Well a few moons ago I was a butterball and I had to lose a few pounds so I went on an Atkins diet and shed like 50 odd pounds in a month.  I figured most of that was water and muscle.

Well three weeks ago I was a butterball, and on the 3rd week of my Atkins and rigorous exercise plan I've nearly beat that record, by shedding 38 pounds in three weeks.  It has been a really painful ride getting to this point, but my coworkers, whom have weight issues, are impressed and think I'm totally crazy.

If I keep on the same track I'll hit that golden 210lbs target, and that should be in another two months, which will be a slower attempt by going on a water diet to get another 40lbs off - then I'll stop.  Hopefully by that time my skin will not be a saggy mess.   

I've lost three pant sizes already. 

Question is though, should I stop at 220lbs and start weight training?  Or wait for my body to recover?

[Benevolance]

Weight training can help prevent the saggy skin issue.

[hypernova]

The one thing you cannot do is keep the roller coaster going.  I've read that's even worse on the body than just maintaining a heavy weight itself.

[DaveMMR]

Well a few moons ago I was a butterball and I had to lose a few pounds so I went on an Atkins diet and shed like 50 odd pounds in a month.  I figured most of that was water and muscle.

Well three weeks ago I was a butterball, and on the 3rd week of my Atkins and rigorous exercise plan I've nearly beat that record, by shedding 38 pounds in three weeks.  It has been a really painful ride getting to this point, but my coworkers, whom have weight issues, are impressed and think I'm totally crazy.

If I keep on the same track I'll hit that golden 210lbs target, and that should be in another two months, which will be a slower attempt by going on a water diet to get another 40lbs off - then I'll stop.  Hopefully by that time my skin will not be a saggy mess.   

Disclosure: I'm not a doctor.  However, I'm currently in the process of getting myself in shape and eating better to reach a healthy goal of losing 1-2lbs a week.  This still includes eating regularly - just cutting down on the excess crap (sodas, fatty foods, fried foods, etc.) and increasing intakes of other foods.

At any rate,  I researched before I started and what I determined was that these fad diets you're going on is quite dangerous.  First of off, you're denying your body certain foods which may be beneficial.   Secondly, you're losing a large amount of weight too fast and you're going to gain it back because it is unlikely you can permanently maintain the radical change in eating habits (which is true of anyone; fad diets involve too much drastic, unrealistic changes to eating).  That's not good for your heart.

Do what you think is best but maybe you should speak to a doctor about a healthy diet and exercise regimen instead of buying into these fad diets that seem to do more harm than good.   Your heart will thank you for it.

[TOK]

Wow, that is too much weight too fast. You do lose muscle when you do that.
I lost 40 pounds in about 6 months and have managed to keep it off by cutting dairy, sugar and carbs. Still keep Saturday night as a throwaway night and scarf on pizza and beer.

Splenda, wheat bread, no soda and ditching most cheese will work, taking the weight off slow and steady without tons of exercise.

[eds1275]

Once upon a time I was 220 [5'7]. Now I'm 160 - I'll share my tips.

#1 this is the big one - don't eat because you are bored.
#2 Portion control
#3 find an active hobby

That's it. I sold my ---smurfy--- car and rode my bike to work [5 min ride to the bus, 30 minute bus ride, 10 min ride]. Played an ungodly amount of frisbee [which made me more social] and had lots of sex.

[Donkbaca]

Diet and exercise without lifting weights will just resulting a smaller version of a flabby you. Lifting weights builds muscle and raises your non-exercise metabolism. In short, start at least doing pushups, pull ups and squats

[Xiaou2]

I Agree with whats been said.

 The atkins diet is too dangerous and harmful to the system.

 Learn portion control, (it takes like 1/2 hr before your brain knows that your actually full)  And eat healthier. (cut the fried and high fat foods out, including most dairy).  Read food labels, see fat content and calorie count per serving. Stay away from salad dressings..  And dont drink from plastic cups: BPA's  (chemicals that leach into the system, which cause you to gain weight, among many other side effects)

 It appears you dont know how to eat well..  so start learning... else you will have to constantly destroy yourself to try to shed mass... and it will get worse and worse as you age, and the metabolism gets slower and slower.

 A small bit of muscle will burn through calories even when its not really active.  So start getting in shape. It has to burn bad, before its going to get better.

 Cardio is good too. (but Id start a little muscle building first)  I hear hours of DDR was making kids lose major weight.  Tae Kwan Do, Kickboxing..etc.. may be an excellent option.  Swimming is supposed to burn a lot too.

 Look to the Asians.  Very few fat Asians proportionately overseas.  Lots of veggies, a little meat, steamed rice (or sticky rice, or bean thread noodles...) and Tea. (obviously not the deep fried battered stuff)   The dishes are easy, fast to cook, delicious, and healthy.

 Asians dont eat much if any dairy, dont snack on high fat garbage like potato chips, dont eat too much sugar, and until only recently, had very little 'fast-food'.
Though sadly, things are changing for the worse, as they are now being much more subjected to, and poisoned, by the industry of crappy, cheap, high fat 'food?' .

 Native Asians also typically tend to look at least about 10yrs younger than the avg. American. I think that says a lot.

[pinballwizard79]

Atkins actually seems proper if you think about it, the only thing you deny yourself is processed food, fast food & junk food.

The factory made bread we eat, yes even that bogus 17 grain crap from Whole foods we buy from the hairy granola girl isnt something our species truly evolved into eating. If you look at the timeline of mankind you will see bread is very recent. Pizza, Chinese, beer, soda, chips, candy & etc are not on any diet fad or whatever our trustworthy government tells us. Isnt it odd a government agency tells us to eat government subsidized grains? We didnt evolve as a species that builds pyramids eating nutrigrain bars full of corn syrup each morning.

So guys whats that leave you dodging? Rice, pasta, potatoes & most fruits right? Well rice, pasta & potatoes have always been starches that respectable doctors tell you to avoid...especially if you are a diabetic.

As for fruit, once again look at the timeline of mankind & ask yourself how many humans had access to 29 types of fruit shipped & ripened in toxic gases 365 days a year. Fruits are very specific to geography & in the majority of areas are only available for a very short time. A friend of mine who is a personal trainer, professional body builder with trophies & all around much healthier person than myself sure put it quite well "Your body CANNOT tell the difference between a glass of orange juice vs a glass of soda".

Want to pretend OJ has nutrients? Nope! Pasteurization kills all enzymes & vitamins, yes even vitamin C. The healthy benefits associated with V8, OJ & etc are added back into the dead worthless product. You can do the same thing with a glass of water & a few pills, there is no difference.

So yeah salads, fish, veggies & meat is actually good for you. Cracklin oat bran cereal, antiobotic crammed milk, dead OJ, subway sandwiches, baked lays, rice & spaghetti/meatballs are not.

 

Excuse me, I have to drink a 6 pack & eat half a pizza however.... even though I know better I still cant stop

Edit: Xiaou any ethnicity will look younger than white people, we age like ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- bro. Look at black folks dude, Hollie Berry will be hot @ age 95 & the only thing we have is Demi Moore.... thats our one lol

[DaveMMR]

The reason I think Atkins, et. al. is crap is mainly because FAD DIETS DON'T WORK over the long term.  They all ask you to make major changes to the way you're used to eating.  Read: changing your eating habits gradually for the better instead of suddenly denying yourself entire categories gives you better long term results.  Add to that some strength training and basic cardio (a walk or a bike ride more often) and you'll lose weight that you'll keep off.

Re: Stregnth Training: I've actually gotten some good results from this little program: http://hundredpushups.com/.   It hasn't change my physique or anything but it has improved by strength in noticeable ways (i.e. I'm actually able to do more than 10 push-ups now).

[Malenko]

Look to the Asians.  Very few fat Asians proportionately overseas.  Lots of veggies, a little meat, steamed rice (or sticky rice, or bean thread noodles...) and Tea. (obviously not the deep fried battered stuff)   The dishes are easy, fast to cook, delicious, and healthy.

Sounds a little racist. lol

Asians dont eat much if any dairy, dont snack on high fat garbage like potato chips, dont eat too much sugar, and until only recently, had very little 'fast-food'.

You're kidding right?!!!?? I LOVE Japanese chips, both potato and corn chips. They've been popular in japan for decades (Calbees been around since 1950)! My "snack drawer" at work is laughable, the one at my house is worse.

[Malenko]

Ugh, please don't indulge him when he's between thorazine shots.  I only go to asian grocery stores on a weekly basis so maybe something's changed since last Wednesday, but at least half the aisles are snack food.  Extremely unhealthy snack food, some of it delicious.   

I went to Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater, NJ yesterday after an on-site visit. Its like a mini japan, huge grocery store and 4 or 5 restaurants inside with AMAZING food. 1/2 of the market is Sake, Alcohol, and snacks. Almost all of it is delicious, even the Tuna Jerky. They even have an import toy store called MARS where you can buy a ton of japanese ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, most of it is a bit pricey. Ive been to a ton of the Philippine markets in San Anotonio, my now ex fiancee loved the powdered candy stuff (I cant think of the name)

Now you have me missing Barbacoa =(

[ChadTower]

my now ex fiancee loved the powdered candy stuff (I cant think of the name)

[Mikezilla]

You gotta watch losing weight that fast though, like everyone else said. I did what you are doing and I lost about 90 pounds in a little less than a year, and starting working out a lot, gave myself freaking diabetes. I worked out so much, it wore out my pancreas because I was over exerting myself. My liver kept creating more glucose to compensate for my muscles using it all, and the pancreas just couldnt keep up. Youre going to have a lot of flabby skin if you lose it too fast.

And yeah, Im with Malenko, that was a little racist. Asians have a TON of unhealthy stuff. There are a million Filipinos here, have you seen the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- they eat? Its disgusting, and loaded with fat. I forgot what its called, but they have some pork ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- that just floats in lard. Its kinda gross. I love me some lumpia though.

We have a Mitsuwa here too, its pretty cool, but they close too damn early. They have all kinds of treats, and most of them are unhealthy.

[CCM]

 Look to the Asians.  Very few fat Asians proportionately overseas.  Lots of veggies, a little meat, steamed rice (or sticky rice, or bean thread noodles...) and Tea. (obviously not the deep fried battered stuff)   

deep fried battered tea?

Asians dont eat much if any dairy, dont snack on high fat garbage like potato chips, dont eat too much sugar, and until only recently, had very little 'fast-food'.

First Kitchen... opened in 1977

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Kitchen


Mister Donut

In 1983, Duskin Co. Ltd. of Japan took an unprecedented step by acquiring the sales and trademark rights for Asia from Mister Donut of America. This gave Duskin control and paved the way for the introduction of new tastes as well as the streamlining of all Mister Donut stores, not only in Japan, but even in other countries in the Asia-Pacific. As a result, Mister Donut has grown to a chain of more 1,100 stores in Japan alone claiming the main  market share, with Dunkin Donuts bowing out of the market three years ago.


McDonalds has been in Japan since 1971.


Yoshinoya opened in 1899

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshinoya


Dipper Dan opened in 1972

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipper_Dan

[Xiaou2]

I suppose I should have specified, my experience was with Chinese & Taiwanese.

 Ive been with a Chinese girl (in usa, moved here when she was like 9yrs old), as well as Taiwanese girl (Native in Taiwan), as well as chatted with others.   The Chinese girl & her family didnt go to eat fast food that I can ever recall, and Id been with her for 3yrs, hanging out with them often. They didnt have too many snacks around, and didnt eat too many sweet things.  Similar for the Taiwanese girl.

 The Chinese woman I chatted with (Native in China) also wasnt into sweets either.   Im a sweet-a-holic  heh

 Im a Caucasian btw, and Im no racist.

 Im merely stating the observations Ive had.  Im certain poor diet has a huge impact on health and longevity.  Most especially the masses eating junk food high fat diet.

 Id say that theres probably some things that people are eating that counteract the bad.  But excesses are going to outweigh the bad.  (The Taiwanese girl had ordered me a bowl of noodle soup, which had what appeared to be dandelion stems. Those didnt taste that good, but maybe it was good for me... Freshly made noodles 'on-the-spot', however, were out of this world)

 And while there are a lot of junk foods made in various Asian countries.. its not just the fact that they exist... but the frequency that they are bought and consumed.

 Btw - My ex loved that dried Seaweed stuff.  The smell of it turned my stomach. heh
However, I have had non-dried seaweed in a Japanese meal, that had some sort of dressing, and it was pretty good.

[javeryh]

Damn.  Now I could really go for some lumpia.  I agree with not doing fad diets.  Last October I was in the best shape of my life (marathon training) and then I got sick and just stopped working out cold.  Before I knew it the holidays had come and gone and it wasn't until February I decided to step on a scale and I had gained 30 lbs!  I hadn't changed anything other than the fact that I wasn't running and lifting weights 5 times a week. 

So in February I finally got the energy to get back on track and now about 15 weeks later I've lost over 30 lbs.  The difference this time is I finally found a diet and workout schedule that work for me.  I work out 4 times a week and I have been eating really healthy (lots of chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables) and I stopped drinking everything except for water.  It hasn't been that much effort - I'm never hungry, I have a ton of energy and I look and feel great (I'm about 200 lbs. now and 6' tall and I'm a pretty big dude).  I'm actually going to try and lose 15 more in the next 15-20 weeks.  I think 185lbs would be ideal but maybe a little too skinny but I haven't been that skinny in 10 years so what the heck.

[ark_ader]

Nope I have Bacon & Eggs in the morning then a small banana at break - in the afternoon  lettuce, 5 slices of cucumber, 2 mushrooms with small amount of olive oil & rice vinegar (shaken) in a salad for lunch with with two small sheets of crisp bread (for fibre) then nothing until dinner when I have two chicken breasts and 4 florets of cauliflower with melted cheese.  

For a treat I will have Philadelphia full fat on 3 celery sticks and I can have about 5 boiled eggs if the hunger pangs.  I drink about a litre of coffee (Starbuck black and straight ice cold) and water about three litres a day.  This time around I give myself 5 carbs a day, but I burn it right through when I walk to work each morning.

Exercise:  20 laps in the pool, body workout, each day and walk 25 miles a week.  No car.  

Eating is alright - getting rid is the difficult part....

[DaOld Man]

.....Played an ungodly amount of frisbee [which made me more social] and had lots of sex.

I take it you weren't married at that time..

All this talk about food makes me want pizza, breadsticks and 3 or 4 Dos Equis'.

[javeryh]

ark_ader - your diet is terrible!  You can't eat like that forever!  Celery sticks?  Slices of cucumber? Boiled eggs?  Jeez - that sounds like hell to me.  It may work in the short term but long-term I just don't see anyone keeping that up.  You would be better off just gradually changing your diet from crap food to healthy food instead of something so drastic.  You can still eat normal food and lose weight.

The exercise you are getting is great though and chicken for dinner is good.  Instead of bacon and eggs try egg whites in a bowl with slice of chopped ham or turkey - mix that together in a bowl and microwave for 90 seconds - it's delicious and really good for you.  That's what I eat in the mornings, I have a ham sandwich on rye with lettuce, tomato and honey mustard with a small bag of sunchips for lunch and then chicken or fish with sauteed peppers and onions for dinner.  I snack on fruit and nuts all day long and I drink a crap ton of water.  I'm never hungry and I rarely crave bad food - and when I do I just indulge a little.  Last weekend I had 2 slices of pizza for dinner one night and it didn't affect my weight loss for the week at all.

Just my $0.02 - it's a constant battle and I finally feel like I found the right solution (for me).   

[Malenko]

And while there are a lot of junk foods made in various Asian countries.. its not just the fact that they exist... but the frequency that they are bought and consumed.

So we show you the error of your previous post, and this is your retort? When I research and post the profits of the companies are you going to says its due to savvy businessmen? Just say "oops I didn't know Japan eats like pot heads" Being wrong isn't that big of a deal, just ask chad, he does it all the time.

@PBJ I remember going to at least 3, but that was over a decade ago. One was in a tiny strip mall, one was in a bigger strip mall, one was kinda by itself. The one in the tiny strip mall had a Chinese restaurant next to it, prolly the same one. I lived up near where Culebra and Grissom meet 410, you might just be in a different part of San An.   Man, now I'm reminiscing about Jim's and their Tortilla soup, sooooo goooood.

[ChadTower]

.....Played an ungodly amount of frisbee [which made me more social] and had lots of sex.

I take it you weren't married at that time..

First thing my wife did was throw away all my frisbees.

[RayB]

My GF went to Bejing couple years ago and she said they have a major obesity problem there that rivals the US.

The stereotype that "asians" have a magic diet that keeps them healthy stems from decades past when, yes, they were thin due to poverty and a lack of choice in foods. That's all changed.

[Xiaou2]

I dont mind being wrong, and I can admit it when its so.

 In the case of the post however, it was more of an misunderstanding, and a missed word I forgot to put in.

---
 dont snack on high fat garbage like potato chips *much*, dont eat too much sugar, and until only recently *see note* , had very little 'fast-food'.
---

 Note: 

 China's history is very long, and its taken many years for just a handful of fast food places to spring up.  McDonalds barged its way in fairly early, but the rest taking much longer. (McDonalds over there also serves different kinds of food too)

 And even after such places became available, it wasnt like today, where some people eat 2 to 4 times a week at such places... and the rest of the time, are eating other forms of trash thats similar in nature, as a main food staple, rather than an occasional indulgence.  Which is why  for example, on average, Americans, compared to people in Japan or China... tend to be much more overweight.

 And while China for ex, may have some dishes that are bad for them... I dont recall seeing much if any dairy. Few/no high fat cheese dishes, fatty salad dressings, mayonnaise (yuck), hotdogs?.  Yet these are the kinds of things that I see people here eat on a regular diet, in large quantities.

 Do these things exist today in China / Japan?  Probably so.  But I can pretty much say with certainty that their diets on Average tend to be much better.  (for now)

 Some of the stuff I see on the backs of packages here blows my mind.  I once saw one of these little MCdonald-like pies in a box, and it stated that it was like 70% of your daily saturated fat intake. Purely disgusting and completely unnecessary to put that much fat into a single serving snack.

 With McDonalds, they used a kid friendly mascot to draw them in, and hook them early on.  Getting kids hooked to the absolute worst quality food, and as grown ups, they gorge on the stuff without any thought to its contents.

 Fortunately, change is slowly starting to happen, as people are finally starting to realize the poison and damages of the crappy food we have been ingesting. Sadly, so much damage has already been done.

[Vigo]

When X2 is talking about the healthy asian food, i think it is specifically Traditional Imperial Chinese cooking, which is completely non-westernized. He is right about how it is good for you. That food is ridiculously, insanely healthy, and often delicious too. You can't even expect to find the real thing here either, mostly because for the dishes to be made properly, the food must all be 100% fresh, from ingredients that don't exist in this half of the world. Also culturally, food and medicine are one in the same. You have certain health problems, you base your diet around it and eat certain foods regularly. It works.

That being said, junk food and fast food is everywhere over Asia, and some of these unhealthy foods have been around over 100 years. Probably British influence. They eat it quite often, too. In East Asia, they will also easily eat 5 or more meals a day as well. It is just that most of the food they consume routinely is 100% fresh. Preservatives are not commonly found in their food. And their diets are just naturally balanced. You don't have to sit and eat salads to be healthy.

A lot of what keeps the fat down in east Asia is the culture. They have ridiculous standards on what thin is. When I was over there, I was considered a fat-ass American. I was a bit thinner then, too. I have the build of someone like Leonardo Dicaprio (I certainly don't look like him though  ) They will rip you apart to your core for being fat if you have a single ounce of meat on your bones. I'm not sure if they consider anorexia a bad thing over there. Also, when you grow up going to school every day from 7am - 8pm, you don't really have time to eat junk food and get fat either.

[Mikezilla]

You do know that most of the statistics that say Americans are fat are from the south right? Where mostly people are poor and they make do with what they have. Not to mention, China has over a BILLION PEOPLE of course the percentages are going to be skewed. As others have stated, China in particular has their fair of obesity, and also, mental disorders. They are attributing that to poor diet and bad conditions (pollution, quality of life etc). Of course they dont have dairy, they dont have any room for cows because there are so many people. Mayo is considered a sauce in Japan, they slather that ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- on everything.

Besides, nobody is forcing anyone to eat those little pies at mcdonalds anyway. Its there if you WANT them. Of course everyone knows fast food isnt good for you.

Mcdonalds is a treat, youre not supposed to eat it all the time. I hate how everyone bad mouths Mcdonalds, just because they are the biggest.

[Vigo]

Yes, it is insanely hard to just lump all of Asia in this sort of discussion. 1/3 the world land mass, and 1/2 the world population. Food ranges from "lard in bowl of oil soup" to fine Iron chef grade cuisine.

Besides, nobody is forcing anyone to eat those little pies at mcdonalds anyway. Its there if you WANT them. Of course everyone knows fast food isnt good for you.

Mcdonalds is a treat, youre not supposed to eat it all the time. I hate how everyone bad mouths Mcdonalds, just because they are the biggest.

It's amazing how many people try to point the fingers at everyone but themselves. Especially with McDonalds. Nobody is forced to eat mcdonalds, and Mcdonalds never pretended to be a healthy meal. Nobody is being duped here.

[Vigo]

True, but its not like I am going to touch their "oatmeal surprise" 

[Mikezilla]

Yes, it is insanely hard to just lump all of Asia in this sort of discussion. 1/3 the world land mass, and 1/2 the world population. Food ranges from "lard in bowl of oil soup" to fine Iron chef grade cuisine.

Besides, nobody is forcing anyone to eat those little pies at mcdonalds anyway. Its there if you WANT them. Of course everyone knows fast food isnt good for you.

Mcdonalds is a treat, youre not supposed to eat it all the time. I hate how everyone bad mouths Mcdonalds, just because they are the biggest.

It's amazing how many people try to point the fingers at everyone but themselves. Especially with McDonalds. Nobody is forced to eat mcdonalds, and Mcdonalds never pretended to be a healthy meal. Nobody is being duped here.

Vigo, as usual, knows what the hell is up. Exactly, Mcdonalds never markets itself as a healthy restaurant. Anyone that says they dont like Mcdonalds is a liar.

Their oatmeal is pretty good! Its not the usual tastless colorless sludge Im used to eating. It has fresh fruit in it!

  to PBJ. Everytime I type that it makes me want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich btw.

[ChadTower]

Anyone that says they dont like Mcdonalds is a liar.

I can't stand McDonald's.  The fries are decent but I can only eat maybe 10 of them before I am tired of the salt.  Lots of people just don't like heavily greasy food.

[Xiaou2]

McD has gotten better over the yrs., more than likely due to pressure put on them from people.

 I used to work in the mall, so food choices were very limited.  Most days it was Burgerking.   Which was dreadful.

 After a few yrs, my body started revolting.  It simply turned my stomach to eat from there.  Food I ate from there, seemed to pass right through me in less than an hour... denoting very little nutritional value.

 Luckily, there was a Japanese place there.  The Japanese place served a Teriyaki dish with lightly sauced stir fried meat (chicken / beef ), over steamed diced cabbage, carrots, & some other veggies.  It was excellent.  When they left, I had to try Chinese.   I stay away from the deep fried americanized stuff as Vigo states. 
 
 Mei Fun is really good (rice noodle dish), as is standard Beef & Broccoli.  Check out Moo Shu Beef (beef over shredded cabbage in sauce, which you wrap up in paper thin style tortilla wrap with special brown sauce).  For appetizer, look for "fresh spring roll".  Its a non-cooked roll of diced veggies in a thin translucent wrap, and made correct, its outa this world.

 

Anyone that says they dont like Mcdonalds is a liar.

 Sorry man, but I dont care for them anymore.  I dont think Ive been there 3 times in over the past 10 yrs, and the only times Ive been there was when I had little choice as was with others.

 If I have to stop at a 'fast' food joint, I opt for subway, or wendys. (and get the chicken. Not unknown meat parts-is-parts nuggets, nor battered oil drenched crap)

 I dont think I mentioned anything about MCD advertising being healthy.  Thats exactly my point however.   That its a bit difficult just to be out and about, and get some healthy food at times.  That initially, MCD was aimed at Children (clowns remember?)... and if your a parent, if anything... you Should be concerned at what kinds of junk your letting them consume.  Once the kids get a taste of that crap, they think its great, and dont want anything to do with Good food. They dont have any concept of clogging arteries and the effects of the future of obesity that they may have to endure later...

 But MCD is really just the tip of the Iceburg.  Over the course of even just my lifetime, Ive watched as food and junk food has really gotten shockingly bad and way out of hand.  Generally, eating habits have changed each generation, for the worse.

 This really isnt an argument about Asia.  Merely that they are still a tad bit behind compared to the corrupted crap thats available here, and that they at least used to have the superior diet.   Back over 100 yrs ago, Im sure our diets were much better here in Usa.

 If you really want to change your diet, work for Pizza Hut for a few months.  They use the worst quality high fat ingredients.   The pans are loaded with oil, the meats are oily, the cheese is fatty.. and when it comes out of the oven, theres about 3mm thick oil pool floating on top of the thing.  After a year of that, I couldnt eat another Pizza for some time.

 FYI, Pizza Hut is part of Yum brands corporation, which also owns KFC if im not mistaken.  KFC has gotten Huge over in Taiwan, probably China as well.  All the while, here, its starting to drop out of existence.

[eds1275]

.....Played an ungodly amount of frisbee [which made me more social] and had lots of sex.

I take it you weren't married at that time..

All this talk about food makes me want pizza, breadsticks and 3 or 4 Dos Equis'.

lol been with her for a little over ten years. Secret to having lots of sex: no cable TV. What else is there to do!?!?!!?

[ark_ader]

The other thing I experienced when trying to lose weight is the cost.

It is so expensive in my part of the world to get good produce and poultry.

Granted I am not spending £££ for Ben & Jerrys, but it is cheaper to eat unhealthy than to eat healthy.

Reduced fat products are full of sugar, and you have to read every label.

Maybe I should dig out the flower bed and plant veggies instead, and build a hen house in the shed.

My other brother has a ranch in Nevada, and he gets loads of eggs and chicken. 

I just have to get a little red stamp for the eggs.... 

I'm sure the neighbor's cats would love the idea

[ark_ader]

Today is the final day of my record breaking attempt.

I actually lost 8 pounds from last Wednesday, but I'm under that target of 50lbs.

I'm really stoked that I got this far without having severe stomach cramps, which I had to endure last time.

Still I have another three months of this induction to go before I'm done.  Then I can have a pizza.

I'm not impressed with that loose turkey skin look, but you cannot have all your own way. 

I was going to post an image, but I might upset some of you.

[DaveMMR]

I'm really stoked that I got this far without having severe stomach cramps, which I had to endure last time.
I'm not impressed with that loose turkey skin look, but you cannot have all your own way. 

From where I stand, cramps and loose skin are indications that you're doing it wrong.   Sorry dude, but you have nothing to be proud of - you are destroying your body.  And as far as appearance goes, loose skin looks 100 times worse than fat. 

And, by the way, this:

Still I have another three months of this induction to go before I'm done.  Then I can have a pizza.

is why you're going to gain the weight back. 

[ChadTower]

Cramps, yeah, not good.

Loose skin is a fact of life for people who lose a lot of weight.  It doesn't just shrink on its own.

[ChadTower]

Well, so is being able to see your own penis, so at least he's got that going for him.

fixt so that it's less oogy.

[DaveMMR]

Loose skin is a fact of life for people who lose a lot of weight.  It doesn't just shrink on its own.

Loosing weight at a slower, healthy rate (1-2 lbs a week) and muscle-building exercises does help curb excess loose skin.  Excess skin is a result of losing muscle in addition to fat as a result of "crash diets".    Again... doctor.. see one.     

[Vigo]

Loose skin is a fact of life for people who lose a lot of weight.  It doesn't just shrink on its own.

Loosing weight at a slower, healthy rate (1-2 lbs a week) and muscle-building exercises does help curb excess loose skin.  Excess skin is a result of losing muscle in addition to fat as a result of "crash diets".    Again... doctor.. see one.     

You got to look at the reality of it though. Someone who has 150 pounds or more to lose, at a rate of 1-2 pounds lost a week would require a diet that takes years. You are not going to find anyone with the will go on a diet for that long. It the person is going to lose the weight and will work to then keep it off, I say the crash diet is well worth it. Better than weaving in and out of diets and various weight changes for a course of many years simply trying to lose that initial body weight to begin with, without even getting to the maintaining a healthy body weight stage.

[Mikezilla]

Loose skin is a fact of life for people who lose a lot of weight.  It doesn't just shrink on its own.

Loosing weight at a slower, healthy rate (1-2 lbs a week) and muscle-building exercises does help curb excess loose skin.  Excess skin is a result of losing muscle in addition to fat as a result of "crash diets".    Again... doctor.. see one.     

You got to look at the reality of it though. Someone who has 150 pounds or more to lose, at a rate of 1-2 pounds lost a week would require a diet that takes years. You are not going to find anyone with the will go on a diet for that long. It the person is going to lose the weight and will work to then keep it off, I say the crash diet is well worth it. Better than weaving in and out of diets and various weight changes for a course of many years simply trying to lose that initial body weight to begin with, without even getting to the maintaining a healthy body weight stage.

As a person that lost a substantial amount of weight himself, Im with Vigo on this (as usual). Nobody wants to take that long to lose that much weight, but the diet he seems to be on is destroying his body. Thats TOO harsh. Your body is going to hang onto the weight too, because its going to think its starving, and when you actually do shock it into using the last bit of fat, when you eat normal again, your body is going to put the pounds back on because it feels the need to. Look at the guy that won the biggest loser a few years ago, he gained all his weight back in a year, and then some. Maintaining a healthy weight is a gradual thing, you cant just lose 100 lbs in 3 months. Thats crazy.

[ChadTower]

Also look at the reality of the numbers.  A person can lose 100lb.  That person is not going to put on 100lb of muscle to fill up that space.  You can't take 100lb out of a bag, put 20lb back in, and expect it to be full.  Yeah, the skin adjusts a certain amount, but not enough to make up the difference when a person is losing that much weight.

[Mikezilla]

Also look at the reality of the numbers.  A person can lose 100lb.  That person is not going to put on 100lb of muscle to fill up that space.  You can't take 100lb out of a bag, put 20lb back in, and expect it to be full.  Yeah, the skin adjusts a certain amount, but not enough to make up the difference when a person is losing that much weight.

 

[Vigo]

Your body is going to hang onto the weight too, because its going to think its starving, and when you actually do shock it into using the last bit of fat, when you eat normal again, your body is going to put the pounds back on because it feels the need to. Look at the guy that won the biggest loser a few years ago, he gained all his weight back in a year, and then some. Maintaining a healthy weight is a gradual thing, you cant just lose 100 lbs in 3 months. Thats crazy.

Yes. There is this strange misconception out there that when you finish losing a bunch of weight, you can just resume your old diet and maintain your body weight. any person's body is going to react first and foremost by gaining weight back, so any changes away from a diet has to be very gradual. The whole, "I'm done dieting, now let me feast to celebrate" is the worst thing anyone can do.

Also, I found the best way for me to diet is to simply eat less. I am still easily getting enough of the nutrition and calories that I need, but the smaller amount of food makes a difference. I've lost weight really quickly, about 4-5 pounds a week. I just fill the hunger void with water, and have been weening myself to less and less water to allow my body to adjust to a smaller appetite. It has becoming a bit frustrating recently though, since I now eat less than my wife. She feels bad that she is eating more food than me, so she is laying on the guilt that I should eat more. 

[Donkbaca]

  Yeah, never really say a BYOACer and thought, Man, I want to look like THAT guy!

[Vigo]

Yeah, never really say a BYOACer and thought, Man, I want to look like THAT guy!

That's just because I haven't posted a picture of myself yet. 

[ark_ader]

Well I am not finished.  I have a lot more to lose over the next eight weeks (well just before college starts again) and I'm figuring that my body has gotten wise to this type of behavior as I haven't been able to shed more.  It took me a fair while to gain it back last time and I had help from Häagen-Dazs (strawberry shortcake) and Ben & Jerrys, stuffed crust pizza and bags of M&Ms.  But it didn't just pack on it snuck up on me as my exercise was constant and I was walking more.

This time around I have to me more mindful of my actions as I am over 40 and its harder to keep a slimmer figure and not indulge.  The Atkins diet is not a fad if you stick with it and have a life eating right and being healthy.

I did moan a bit about food being expensive, but eating fatty is expensive too.  I stand in line looking at those who are morbid obese buying all the bread and cakes on sale, booze and cigarettes.  So sad.

I'm just lucky this time around, but the headaches, cramps and the shakes are starting to appear.  I'm drinking more milk and doubling the protein and that is having a positive effect,and the multi-vitamins are helping.   

I went to see my doctor today for my monthly prescription and he wasn't a happy camper when I told him, as he twigged on how I looked, and he said my symptoms are due to my body going into shock.  I'm now getting my bloods done, and I have stopped donating blood at the hospital.  Oops.    That would explain why I was tired all the time..... 

So I'm in good hands.  I didn't do a before and after, but I'm sure I have some tubby photos somewhere. 

At the moment I look and feel like yuck, but that should all change when buff up at the gym.   

[ark_ader]

Also look at the reality of the numbers.  A person can lose 100lb.  That person is not going to put on 100lb of muscle to fill up that space.  You can't take 100lb out of a bag, put 20lb back in, and expect it to be full.  Yeah, the skin adjusts a certain amount, but not enough to make up the difference when a person is losing that much weight.

What like this:



That guy needs surgery.  Mine looks like " a spare deflated tire" instead of a spare tire. 

[TOK]

A dude I work with had gastric bypass or something and lost a huge amount of weight... I'd imagine enough to look like the guy in that picture. I never asked to see his body (eek), but they wrapped his arms in legs in some kind of bandage type things to help that flab shrink back down.

He was probably over 400 pounds and I'm guessing he's down to around 200 now.

[DaveMMR]

Loose skin is a fact of life for people who lose a lot of weight.  It doesn't just shrink on its own.

Loosing weight at a slower, healthy rate (1-2 lbs a week) and muscle-building exercises does help curb excess loose skin.  Excess skin is a result of losing muscle in addition to fat as a result of "crash diets".    Again... doctor.. see one.     

You got to look at the reality of it though. Someone who has 150 pounds or more to lose, at a rate of 1-2 pounds lost a week would require a diet that takes years. You are not going to find anyone with the will go on a diet for that long. It the person is going to lose the weight and will work to then keep it off, I say the crash diet is well worth it. Better than weaving in and out of diets and various weight changes for a course of many years simply trying to lose that initial body weight to begin with, without even getting to the maintaining a healthy body weight stage.

150 lbs / 2lbs week = 75 weeks.  That's only a year-and-a-half.  And in reality, changing of the lifestyle instead of striving for "overnight weight loss" is much better in the long run.  Because crash diets, almost by definition, involve making unrealistic changes to the way you eat. 

Besides, scratch that 75 week figure.  You'll see noticeable results in much less time; enough that people will compliment you and you will be motivated to continue.  So in reality, smaller goals will ultimately lead to a big change before you'd even know it. 

Also, if you are describing dieting as "harsh" or "torture" then you are doing it wrong.  Do not diet and don't call it a diet.  Adjusting your eating habits means making some better decisions about what you take in.  It does NOT mean eliminating certain foods altogether.   Add more "greens" to your diet and maybe replace white bread with whole grain bread and cut out excess fats but with moderation, anything can be enjoyed.     

I went to see my doctor today for my monthly prescription and he wasn't a happy camper when I told him, as he twigged on how I looked, and he said my symptoms are due to my body going into shock.  I'm now getting my bloods done, and I have stopped donating blood at the hospital.  Oops.    That would explain why I was tired all the time..... 

...and yeah, then there's that.  But you know what:

I think I'll ignore any and all diet advice dispensed on this forum.

Probably the best advice in this entire thread.   

[Cakemeister]

I agree with DaveMMR on everything he's posted in this thread.

Listen to him!

[Vigo]

Also, if you are describing dieting as "harsh" or "torture" then you are doing it wrong.  Do not diet and don't call it a diet.  Adjusting your eating habits means making some better decisions about what you take in.  It does NOT mean eliminating certain foods altogether.   Add more "greens" to your diet and maybe replace white bread with whole grain bread and cut out excess fats but with moderation, anything can be enjoyed.     

True, but that's half of the story. Someone can eat a lot more vegetables and whole grains and cut back on snacking and not lose a pound. It's really good advice on preventing weight gain though. Someone with a lot of weight to lose has to plan on losing it at a strong enough rate with constant goals. This means meal times are also a factor, as well as portion control. Exercise must also be there, not so much to build muscle, but to keep the body metabolism high enough that the body knows it should not be conserving food into fat. 3-5 pounds a week, while keeping yourself nourished, is not an unreasonable goal for a serious diet. (Actual safe #/wk would vary from person to person tho) The problem just lies with how a serious dieter will transition from serious dieting to a sustainable weight maintaining diet.

Also, I was not suggesting a crash diet is healthy or good, but only that it is simply better than years of half-hearted dieting where someone's weight will constantly go up and down like an Oprah situation. If someone has a ton of weight to shed, taking it all off quickly and keeping it off is the lesser of evils when compared to the New Years resolution that goes bust after a few months every single year. It is better be fighting a malnutrition situation for a diet in your 20's and 30's than plummeting into heart attack danger in your 40's-50's.

[ark_ader]

The other side of the coin in the lose it gradually camp is the psychological effect when you get to a difficult goal.  There is nothing like it.  You feel so proud. 

Doing it gradually will upset you as most of the time you want it to come off quick without the suffering, and pack on a few more pounds in the process.

I ballooned in weight as I had my world caved in Jan through April, I was very miserable and I ate the crap just to feel better. Like I said it the pounds just crept up.

To get that goal read the Atkins Diet, and just stick to Induction, everything else is a fallacy and will lead you back to pigsville faster then you can say truffle.  First two weeks is murder.

You feel good on the 4th week and you must keep a trophy visible to remind you how bad you were.  I have two.  My old pants size 46L and a picture of me looking like a.. ...pig.

Your mental state is very important while going through this critical weight shedding process.  My crutch was the arcade gaming.  My poor xbox1 & X Arcade got more action last month then ever.  Even more now that Coinops2 is out.

These things keep you on the short and narrow.  No pain no gain.  Yes my doc was pissed, yes I'm going to get it in the neck from him next time I see him, but it is worth it all.

I also noticed that the girls are starting to notice me again.  Bonus. Nothing wrong with that.  Tell everyone what you have accomplished to encourage others to get healthy.

So if you have a few 100 lbs to shed, don't listen to the old women in here.  Just dive in the deep end and make a difference. Just get rid, before you become insulin resistant.

Here is a odd thing that happened to me just last night.  I don't weigh myself daily just weekly as your body weight can go up and down.  I weighed in at 238 Monday night.  Thinking that was odd as I Weighed in at 230 the previous night.  I had a full 8 hours sleep, and when I woke I was back at 230.  Where did the 8 pounds go?  I figured 2 litres of water passed through my system (yes I drink that much water a day) so that's roughly 5 pounds there, so what about the other 3 lbs?  I'm definitely going to hit that brick wall and plateau real soon, but the runaway train is still on its tracks. 

How did I lose 3 pounds in less than 9 hours?   

[Mikezilla]

Im telling you, youre going to burn out your pancreas, and maybe your kidneys drinking that much water and losing weight so quickly. Actually, nevermind about the kidneys, that isnt that much water. The pancreas for sure, because thats what I did.

[Donkbaca]

The pancreas is overrated...

[Xiaou2]

and I ate the crap just to feel better

 Thats the key issue in weight loss.

 Many people overweight are people who cant handle something.  Some sort of stress. Some relationship issues.  Lack of self worth.  Etc.   So, they turn to eating garbage snack food, rather than dealing with the stuff.

 If you cant put your mental foot down and stand up for yourself... face your demons with grace, willingness..etc..  than you are guaranteed to gain back every pound, if not add even more.

 Logically, if you couldnt run too well due to an injury that has never fully healed correctly.. would you chop off your foot cause you were depressed about it?!   Yet you chose to stuff your gut with high fat MM's & Frozen Fat-Cream.. which is equivalent to doing the same.

 What you need is some Self Help.   Try listening to some motivational stuff, corrective behavioral audio/books, get advice and help from others who have succeeded in besting their problems. Hypnosis tapes.  Whatever you can do to strengthen yourself "Internally", where it counts the most.

 The mind (and spirit) controls the body & the actions. If you gain ability to control your mind, (and your emotions) you start to take charge in your life, rather than life taking you for a ride.

 Take note, that most of the people who have lost the most, and kept it off, are people who have in fact had profound internal changes.

[ark_ader]

Im telling you, youre going to burn out your pancreas, and maybe your kidneys drinking that much water and losing weight so quickly. Actually, nevermind about the kidneys, that isnt that much water. The pancreas for sure, because thats what I did.

I just briefly googled your point and could not find any reference to what I am doing and your pancreas problem.

Maybe you had another hidden issue that caused your illness. In actuality (what I read so far) weight gain makes your pancreas work harder.

I just bought some peppermint tea.  Nice with crushed ice, instead of a soda.

[Cakemeister]

I don't see any link to pancreas disease and Atkins, either, in fact a low carb diet is recommended for pancreatitis. 

I would be okay with a "don't eat anything white" diet. But I think no carbs at all is a bit ridiculous. You can have sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, whole grain rice, pasta and bread instead of white rice, pasta, and bread, and so on. Use Splenda or Stevia instead of sugar in your coffee/tea. Get some exercise, watch your portions, and quit smoking.

If you must have a sweet snack, do not purchas a package of cookies. Go to RJ Goodies or whatever and buy one cookie. Don't buy a gallon of ice cream, go and have a cone at Marble Slab or whatever, or buy a pint.

Do not go to the grocery store when hungry.

Dang, I should tell my wife this. She feeds me white pasta all the time.

[ChadTower]

Heh, in high school, we used to lose 6lb in a day fairly often.  Of course, we'd put it all back on with the first glass of water.   

[Donkbaca]

I find the low carb thing the easiest diet for a couple of reasons: 1) It keeps you away from garbage; 2) Protein fills me up faster.  If I eat a 10 oz steak with some steamed vegetables, I am full.  In contrast I could probable ueat like a pound and a half of pasta.  So with a low-carb diet, I find it easier to eat healthy and consume less calories.  People usually assume that a low carb diet means that you will be sitting around eating nothing but bacon, but really, I have found that I eat way more vegetables on a low carb diet.  you just substitute your rice/potato/bread with your meal for salad/squash/eggplant

[Mikezilla]

What I meant about the pancreas being burned out is when you stay on a nightmarish diet like that, and then you work out a lot. I guess the OP didnt really mention that he was working out a lot, just that he was doing this crazy diet. My mistake. I was working out like a beast, so thats what happened to me. I got ripped, but also got diabetes. And cause I was a fatty before too, but the working out really did my pancreas in.

[Vigo]

What I meant about the pancreas being burned out is when you stay on a nightmarish diet like that, and then you work out a lot. I guess the OP didnt really mention that he was working out a lot, just that he was doing this crazy diet. My mistake. I was working out like a beast, so thats what happened to me. I got ripped, but also got diabetes. And cause I was a fatty before too, but the working out really did my pancreas in.

Sorry that happened to you, man! That sucks! I wouldn't wish that ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- on my worst enemies. 

I have a buddy that blew out his pancreas. He was working two jobs, excersing for hours at the gym , and would only down water during the day. Durng the night he would be out of energy so he would down a bunch of candy bars and go to bed.

This was in college, and I was his roommate. He came home one night and I was watching a movie with the girlfriend. He crashed right away on his bed, and 10 minutes later his body was shaking uncontrollably and he was unresponsive. He was into severe hypoglycemic shock.

Called 911 and the police came before the paramedics. The police officer thought he was OD'ing on something so promptly started inspecting our dorm room. Found our fridge full of beer and my roommate and I were underage. My GF was over 21 so she claimed they were hers. She saved ---my bottom--- big time.

The paramedics came and the police officer ordered them not to treat my roommate until he finished inspecting the area for drugs. The paramedics called that in and the officer was soon ordered to leave over his radio. The officer never did though, but the paramedics were able to go in and treat my roommate and take him to the hospital. According to the hospital, he was minutes from a coma, and less than a half hour from death.

A week later my roommate put in a complaint. With the paramedics call-in backing up the story. The police officer was suspended immediately.

[Mikezilla]

What I meant about the pancreas being burned out is when you stay on a nightmarish diet like that, and then you work out a lot. I guess the OP didnt really mention that he was working out a lot, just that he was doing this crazy diet. My mistake. I was working out like a beast, so thats what happened to me. I got ripped, but also got diabetes. And cause I was a fatty before too, but the working out really did my pancreas in.

Sorry that happened to you, man! That sucks! I wouldn't wish that ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- on my worst enemies. 

I have a buddy that blew out his pancreas. He was working two jobs, excersing for hours at the gym , and would only down water during the day. Durng the night he would be out of energy so he would down a bunch of candy bars and go to bed.

This was in college, and I was his roommate. He came home one night and I was watching a movie with the girlfriend. He crashed right away on his bed, and 10 minutes later his body was shaking uncontrollably and he was unresponsive. He was into severe hypoglycemic shock.

Called 911 and the police came before the paramedics. The police officer thought he was OD'ing on something so promptly started inspecting our dorm room. Found our fridge full of beer and my roommate and I were underage. My GF was over 21 so she claimed they were hers. She saved ---my bottom--- big time.

The paramedics came and the police officer ordered them not to treat my roommate until he finished inspecting the area for drugs. The paramedics called that in and the officer was soon ordered to leave over his radio. The officer never did though, but the paramedics were able to go in and treat my roommate and take him to the hospital. According to the hospital, he was minutes from a coma, and less than a half hour from death.

A week later my roommate put in a complaint. With the paramedics call-in backing up the story. The police officer was suspended immediately.

Holy ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- that is crazy!!! Man. Freaking cops.  Thank you though, I appreciate your concern . Yeah, I guess it runs in my family, my moms side is mexican, so a lot of them have it apparently. The only one I remember was my aunt, I remember she had to inject insulin and take litmus tests when I was a kid.

Thats unbelievable about your friend though, thank god nothing bad happened to him. Well, aside from getting the betes lol. I wasnt as bad as that, but I worked out too much, I was eating well though, but they said that I most likely got it when I was fatter, it being hereditary, and then me working out WAY too much. Sucks, but its my own fault.

Also kudos to having an older gf at the time that saved your ass! 

[Vigo]

Yeah, it was my buddies fault, he did it to himself. But hindsight is 20/20. It took him forever to control his diet. In and out of the hospital for a couple years. He finally learned to eat right though.

I'm glad it wasn't as bad for you. Still, it sucks that you have to worry about it.

[Mikezilla]

Very true. Glad he finally got his ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- straight though.

Thats the trouble with type 2, its hard to regulate. Luckily I got my stuff under control. But youre right, it totally sucks. I wasnt even into sweet stuff too much before I was a full blown diabetic. Now that I know I cant have that kinda stuff, I want it. 

[javeryh]

I agree with DaveMMR on everything he's posted in this thread.

Listen to him!

+1.  People who categorize weight loss attempts as "diets" are doomed to fail.  Eventually you will go off the diet and gain it all back.  That's a fact.  You need to look at it as a compete lifestyle change - forever - not just for 3 months to get thin and then eat like crazy. 

Find a combination of foods that work for you.  Don't deprive yourself of anything - just eat less junk (not no junk) and eat healthier.  Drink lots of water.  Eat lots of chicken and salads.  Reduce the starches (one scoop of rice instead of an entire box or a few pieces of bread instead of the entire loaf).  Eat smaller portions.  Chew more and eat slower (you get full faster and on less food).  Get up early a few times a week and go jogging before work.  This is all very easy to do without any sort of deprivation. 

Once you get going you will feel great and it is very easy to maintain.

[ark_ader]

I agree with DaveMMR on everything he's posted in this thread.

Listen to him!

+1.  People who categorize weight loss attempts as "diets" are doomed to fail.  Eventually you will go off the diet and gain it all back.  That's a fact.  You need to look at it as a compete lifestyle change - forever - not just for 3 months to get thin and then eat like crazy. 

Find a combination of foods that work for you.  Don't deprive yourself of anything - just eat less junk (not no junk) and eat healthier.  Drink lots of water.  Eat lots of chicken and salads.  Reduce the starches (one scoop of rice instead of an entire box or a few pieces of bread instead of the entire loaf).  Eat smaller portions.  Chew more and eat slower (you get full faster and on less food).  Get up early a few times a week and go jogging before work.  This is all very easy to do without any sort of deprivation. 

Once you get going you will feel great and it is very easy to maintain.

What if you have a slow metabolism?

What if you do not have the time to slowly drop the weight?

There is no happy medium, that is where your "where diets fail" falls in.

You got to get rid, and do it fast.  I'm sitting here where I always sat in front of the PC.  My stomach is not touching the desk, me legs and my feet do not ache, the nice looking girl at the office asked me out for a drink.  You cannot do that on the slomo.  You have to dump it and do it as fast as you can.  If you put it back on that's another story.  Atkins food for life is pants.  Total crap advice unless you are a monk or stupid.

What I packed on will take me a year to put back on, and only three months to get back to non obese wonderland of the BMI.  Think about that for a minute.

I dipped down another 5 pounds.  If you walk 5 miles, you lose the same if you jogged 5 miles and you do not have any hip or knee wear.

You just HAVE TO WANT to do it.  That's the truth right there.

[ChadTower]

What if you do not have the time to slowly drop the weight?

What does that mean?  What does "running out of time" mean here?

[Mikezilla]

What if you do not have the time to slowly drop the weight?

What does that mean?  What does "running out of time" mean here?

You have to think how long it took you to put the weight on. you didnt gain 50 lbs in 3 months did you? You have to think your body will go into shock if you lose it too fast, but oh well, you seem to be happy so... I guess thats what matters.

And yeah, what Chad said. Youre not having some type of surgery are you? Thats the only time you actually NEED to drop weight quickly.

[javeryh]

I agree with DaveMMR on everything he's posted in this thread.

Listen to him!

+1.  People who categorize weight loss attempts as "diets" are doomed to fail.  Eventually you will go off the diet and gain it all back.  That's a fact.  You need to look at it as a compete lifestyle change - forever - not just for 3 months to get thin and then eat like crazy. 

Find a combination of foods that work for you.  Don't deprive yourself of anything - just eat less junk (not no junk) and eat healthier.  Drink lots of water.  Eat lots of chicken and salads.  Reduce the starches (one scoop of rice instead of an entire box or a few pieces of bread instead of the entire loaf).  Eat smaller portions.  Chew more and eat slower (you get full faster and on less food).  Get up early a few times a week and go jogging before work.  This is all very easy to do without any sort of deprivation. 

Once you get going you will feel great and it is very easy to maintain.

What if you have a slow metabolism?

What if you do not have the time to slowly drop the weight?

There is no happy medium, that is where your "where diets fail" falls in.

You got to get rid, and do it fast.  I'm sitting here where I always sat in front of the PC.  My stomach is not touching the desk, me legs and my feet do not ache, the nice looking girl at the office asked me out for a drink.  You cannot do that on the slomo.  You have to dump it and do it as fast as you can.  If you put it back on that's another story.  Atkins food for life is pants.  Total crap advice unless you are a monk or stupid.

What I packed on will take me a year to put back on, and only three months to get back to non obese wonderland of the BMI.  Think about that for a minute.

I dipped down another 5 pounds.  If you walk 5 miles, you lose the same if you jogged 5 miles and you do not have any hip or knee wear.

You just HAVE TO WANT to do it.  That's the truth right there.

I couldn't disagree with you more.  If you have a slow metabolism (and who doesn't after age 35?) then you just have to work harder to find the right foods to eat and be more consistent with your exercise.  Losing weight that fast is not good for your heart - especially the older you get.  Also, the "happy medium" is exactly where everyone should strive to be in terms of diet.  It's not good to eat huge portions and tons of junk food and drink soda or beer all the time just like it is not good to eat like a rabbit and have nothing but salads to try and lose weight.

Also, running 5 miles is way better for you in terms of burning calories than walking 5 miles.  It just is - your heart rate is much more elevated and as a result you burn off more calories.  Obviously if you have knee or hip problems you have to adjust for that but generally speaking, the key to losing weight through aerobic exercise is getting your heart rate up and maintaining it.  

What if you do not have the time to slowly drop the weight?

What does that mean?  What does "running out of time" mean here?

I'm curious too.  If you don't have time to do it right, make the time.  Change your life.  I work approximately 12 hours a day plus the commute and I still make time to get up at 5:30AM to go running.  I'm in bed by 11:30 most nights and it works.  There's always time for your health - nothing is more important.  

[Cakemeister]

ark_ader is to health and wellness as noice is to finances.

No offense, Ark, just making a joke.

Just try to do some exercise to avoid losing muscle mass. If you can't run, take some brisk walks or do stair stepping. Do weights and cardio.

[ark_ader]

My sister-in law was told by her doctor to lose weight or she would die 15 years ago.  She was three times her current body weight.

That lady worked like she was on a mission and dumped more weight than I could possibly imagine and kept it off to this day.

When your doctor tells you to get rid of the weight, you take notice.  If your wife/partner/family says anything about weight loss you can (I did) get upset and ignore it.

That is why time is definitely important.  Time to realize and get rid. Quick.  Do it slow and you will be back putting more pounds on and getting depressed.

Some people cannot afford to visit the doctor, that is why the time factor to lose weight is crucial.  Like my next door neighbor who was in his late 50s, and a real porker.  He died of a heart attack getting his morning paper.

My weight loss wasn't medically incentive, but when I started having difficulty sleeping, and my legs and feet were in constant pain, I knew I didn't need a doctor to tell me. 

[DaveMMR]

That is why time is definitely important.  Time to realize and get rid. Quick.  Do it slow and you will be back putting more pounds on and getting depressed.

Citation needed.  

Oh wait, nevermind, I have one:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/lose-weight-fast-how-to-do-it-safely

The bottom line? Weight loss experts agree that any rapid weight loss diet should be identical to a long-term, sustainable plan -- and not a fad diet.

[ark_ader]

Well I kept on my Atkins Induction diet as I described previously and the weight came off.  

When I started five weeks or so ago I was pushing 285.  I looked in the mirror in despair.  I had to get my game on and shed it quick.

I stepped on the scales this morning and I have reached the first part of my goal. 231 lbs.  

I have started to plateau and I have not lost weight dramatically as in previous weeks as I figured that my body caught on to my shenanigans.

I have started to change my exercise regime and look at reducing my intake of protein and increase the amount of water I am consuming.

I am considering doing the cold water diet which seems safe enough, but I have consulted some friends that have tried the water fasting method.

If I do not see any change in weight loss in the next week or so, I shall go on the vitamin and water diet for a week to see if I can shift any more weight.  I'm not looking forward to fiber-gel....

When I can get to 200lbs I can resume Atkins Induction again and bring it down to 180lbs.  I'll be happy then.  

[ark_ader]

http://www.atkins.com/Program/phase1.aspx

[Scott84]

Go to a nutritionist, get a weight trainer to keep the weight off.

To keep the weight off you need to change your life.

You can't expect to diet, get off the diet and not balloon back up.

good luck to everyone.

[eds1275]

I am considering doing the cold water diet which seems safe enough, but I have consulted some friends that have tried the water fasting method.

If I do not see any change in weight loss in the next week or so, I shall go on the vitamin and water diet for a week to see if I can shift any more weight.  I'm not looking forward to fiber-gel....

When I can get to 200lbs I can resume Atkins Induction again and bring it down to 180lbs.  I'll be happy then.  

Hey man sounds like you have a real plan in mind there. Good luck!